VNREDSat-1 is Vietnam’s first remote sensing satellite providing high-resolution imagery to serve social and economic development purposes, as well as environmental protection and natural disaster monitoring.

The VNREDSat-1 programme, awarded to Airbus Defence and Space in 2010, is the result of the French and Vietnamese governments initiative in the frame of an ODA (Overseas Development Assistance) protocol signed in November 2009.

The contract between VAST (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology) and Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) covered the development, manufacture and launch of an optical Earth observation satellite system.

The VNREDSat-1 system comprised an optical satellite capable of capturing images with a resolution of 2.5 metres and the associated ground control, image receiving and processing stations.

A satellite dedicated to sustainable development

The objective was to create a space system enabling Vietnam to better monitor and study the effects of climate change, predict and take measures to prevent natural disasters, and to optimize the management of its natural resources.

The satellite was given the name VNREDSat-1 for “Vietnam Natural Resources, Environment and Disaster Monitoring Satellite”.

More generally, this satellite allowed the country to increase its knowledge in the field of space engineering and to benefit from socio-economic development. VNREDSat-1 contributes to reinforce Vietnamese sovereignty.

A comprehensive bilateral cooperation

As part of the VNREDSAT-1 programme, Airbus Defence and Space established a comprehensive bilateral cooperation with VAST (Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology).

This turnkey solution included an intense academic training programme for Vietnamese engineers as well as technology transfer through on-the-job training. During the project, Vietnamese engineers were trained by the Airbus Defence and Space team.

An highly agile and flexible imaging from space

VNREDSat-1

The satellite is based on the AstroBus-XS platform designed and developed by Airbus Defence and Space in partnership with the CNES (French Space Agency).

The optical payload of the 150kg satellite is capable of capturing images with a resolution of 2.5 meters in panchromatic and 10 meters in multi-spectral mode. The payload benefits from the leading-edge NAOMI optical instruments designed by Airbus Defence and Space.

The satellite launch was also part of Airbus Defence and Space’s responsibility. The satellite was successfully launched on a Sun-synchronous orbit on May 7, 2013, on board of a Vega launcher.

Sentinel-2 is a polar-orbiting, multispectral high-resolution imaging mission for land monitoring to provide, for example, imagery of vegetation, soil and water cover, inland waterways and coastal areas. Sentinel-2 can also deliver information for emergency services.

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Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, MP Dorothee Baer, visited Ottobrunn site to learn more about the series of environmental tests of the Sentinel-2A satellite

the radar of Sentinel-1A satellite can be used to generate 3D models of Earth’s surface and will be able to closely monitor land and ice surface deformation.